Tongue for laced shoes.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS A. WIRTHLIN, OF MADISONVILLE, OHIO.

TONGU'E FOR LACED SHOES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUis A. WIRTHLIN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Madisonville, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tongues for Laced Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in shoe-tongues and has for its object to provide a shoe-tongue of a simple and inexpensive nature which shall be so con-l structed as to adapt it to conform to the shape of the foot of the wearer of the shoe to which it is applied and which shall be provided with improved stili'ening o r reinforcing means whereby the tongue 1s prevented from dropping down within the shoe or from slipping laterally therein.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts of the improved shoe-tongue whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is rendered simpler, cheaper and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings which serve to illustrate my invention Figure 1 is a front view showing a shoe-tongue constructed according thereto and Fig. 2 is a perspective side-elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View drawn to a larger scale and looking from the under side of the tongue for illustration of certain features of construction. Fig. a is a section taken transversely through the tongue in the plane indicated by line cz-a i'n Fig. 1 and showing certain features of construction of the device. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the lower end portion of one of the strips or parts of which the improved-tongue is produced but illustrating the formation of a guide for use in locating the tongue for attachment to the shoe. Fig. 6 is a partial view of the lower end of a shoe-tongue constructed according to my invention and provided with the guiding means illustrated in Fig. 5.

As shown in the drawings, the improved shoe-tongue is constructed of two parts or strips 1, 1, of leather or other suitable material which have registering edge portions 2, 2, each formed with reverse curves, said Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 13, 1905.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

serial No, 245,502.

edge portions joined together by a seam 3 which is thereby caused to extend centrally along the length of the improved tongue. The parts or strips 1, 1, are as clearly indicated on the drawing, made tapered from end to end so that the desired tapered form is imparted to the completed tongue and the attached edges 2, 2, of the parts or strips from which the tongue is produced each have a lower convexly-curved portion, a central concave portion which is reversely curved to said convex port-ion and an upper straight portion, whereby when the parts or strips are sewed together to produce a tongue, the lower portion of the tongue will have a convex portion 11 shaped to lit over the instep, a concave portion 5 shaped to iit the foot above the instep and an upper straight portion 6.

The attached registering edges 2, 2, of the parts or strips 1, are pressed flat upon the under surface of the tongue and over them is stitched a reinforcing-tape 7 which is extended lengthwise on the central part of the tongue upon the rear face thereof and serves to cover the free margins of the attached edge portions 2 and also affords a certain stiifening or reinforcement along the central portion of the tongue. The improved tongue is also provided, as shown in the drawings, with a lining made from strips 8, 8, of suitable material cut similarly to the strips 1, 1, from which the tongue is produced with their adjacent curved edges sewed or otherwise attached as indicated at 10 so that the lining is also shaped to the foot of the wearer and, for the attachment of the lining to the leather portion of the tongue, a tape or binding 9 is passed around the edge portions of the tongue, being lapped over the front surfaces of the leather strips or parts l and the rear surfaces of the lining-strips 8 and stitched in such a way as to aiford a secure attachment of the lining to the main part of the tongue.

or sidewise movement and also to prevent it from dropping down into the shoe.

For convenience in sewing the tongue within the shoe, I preferably employ the guiding means shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and this means consists in producing a notched or cut-away portion ll at the lower portion of each leather part or strip l, so that, at the lower portion of the tongue, said strips or partswill be unattached by the seam 3 and the notch or opening thus produced at the lower end of the tongue as indicated at Fig. 6 will serve as a guide for the operator in locating the vtongue with relation to the upper so that said tongue may bemore readily sewed in place.

The improved shoe-tongue constructed as above described is of an extremely simple .and inexpensive nature and is especially Well adapted for use by reason of its shapedformation and it will also be obvious from the above description that the tongue is capable of some modification Without material departure from the principles and spirit'of the invention and for this reason I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several parts of the device herein set forth in carrying out my invention in practice.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is- A shoe-tongue formed of strips each having an irregularly-curved edge portion, one end of which is notched or cut away and a seam extended lengthwise of the tongue and 'connecting said curved edge portions of the strips except at said notched portions, the said notched portions corresponding to pro duce an opening at the lower end of the tongue to gage the position of the tongue in attaching the same to a shoe.

Signed at Cincinnati, Ohio, this 7th day of February, 1905.

LOUIS A. lVIRTI-ILIN. itnesses Jol-1N ELIAS J ONES, ARTHUR KLINE. 

